1. Philosophy of Education
1.1. Existentialism
1.1.1. Generic Notions
1.1.1.1. Rather modern philosophy
1.1.1.2. May date to European philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
1.1.1.3. Jean Paul Sartre believed that "existence precedes essence."
1.1.1.4. Sartre believed people can make a difference in the world
1.1.2. Goal of Educatioin
1.1.2.1. Education should focus on the needs of the individual
1.1.2.2. Education should stress individuality
1.1.2.3. Believes anxiety from conflict should be addressed
1.1.3. Role of the Teacher
1.1.3.1. Teachers should understand their own "lived worlds" as well as their students
1.1.3.2. Teachers must take risks
1.1.3.3. Maxine Greene said teachers must empower their students to choose and to act on their choices
1.1.4. Methods of Instruction
1.1.4.1. Learning is viewed as intensely personal
1.1.4.2. It believes that every child has a different learning style and the teacher must discover what works for each child
1.1.4.3. Martin Buber wrote about the I-thou approach where the teacher and student learn cooperatively
1.1.5. Curriculum
1.1.5.1. Humanity based curriculum
1.1.5.2. Believes in exposing students at an early age to problems and possibilities
1.1.5.3. Believes that students must be shown the good and bad in society
2. Schools as Organizations
3. Curriculum and Pedagogy
4. Equality of Opportunity
5. Educational Inequality
6. Educational Reform
7. Politics of Education
7.1. Conservative approach
7.1.1. Based on Darwin's analysis of societies
7.1.2. Individuals and groups must compete
7.1.3. Based on free market
7.1.4. Places emphasis on the individual
7.1.5. Social evolution
7.1.6. Welfare based is the heart of American malaise
7.1.7. School is a place for individual merit to be encouraged and rewarded
7.2. Traditional Vision
7.2.1. Provides training to ensure that the most talented and hard-working receive the tools necessary to maximaze economic and social productivity
7.2.2. Schools socialize children into adult roles
7.2.3. Transmits the cultural traditions through the curriculum
7.2.4. Essential to economic productivity
7.2.5. Essential to social stability
7.2.6. Transmission of traditional values of hard work and family unity
8. History of U.S. Education
8.1. The Standards Era 1980's-2012
8.1.1. Enacted to combat the high rate of adult illiteracey
8.1.2. Created the National Commission on Excellence
8.1.3. Set out to correct the declining SAT scores
8.1.4. Offered 5 recommendations
8.1.4.1. Established the "new basics"
8.1.4.2. Expect higher achievements
8.1.4.3. Devote more time teaching the "new basics"
8.1.4.4. Better preparation and better respect of teachers
8.1.4.5. Require elected officials to support and fund the reforms
8.1.5. Conservatives wanted to restore standards and traditional curriculum
8.1.6. Got the state governments active in the reform process
8.2. Conservative Perspective pg 85
8.2.1. Pointed to the failure of progressive education to fulfill social goals without sacrificing academic quality
8.2.2. Ravitch argued that using education to solve social problems had failed
8.2.3. Ravitch argued that using education to solve social problems also led to the erosion of educational excellence
8.2.4. Progressive reforms produced a generation of students who know little
8.2.5. Bennett called for a return to Western curriculum
8.2.6. Hirsch blamed public schools for valuing skills over content
9. Sociological Perspectives
9.1. Theoretical Perspectives- Functional Theory
9.1.1. Functional sociologists start with a picture that stresses the interdependence of the social system
9.1.2. Viewed as parts of a machine, working together
9.1.3. Emile Durkheim was one of the earliest sociologist to embrace the functional point of view
9.1.4. Durkheim believed that education was important to creating the moral unity necessary for social cohesion and harmony
9.1.5. Functionalist assume that consensus is the normal state in society
9.1.6. Functionalist believe conflict represents a breakdown of shared values
9.2. Effects of Schooling
9.2.1. Knowledge and Attitudes
9.2.1.1. Division about how significant school effects are
9.2.1.2. Social class is a major factor in academics
9.2.1.3. More exposure to academics is linked to more participation in society
9.2.2. Employment
9.2.2.1. Most people believe more education leads to better employment opportunities
9.2.2.2. More and more companies are requiring higher education
9.2.2.3. Academics are not measure job performance
9.2.3. Education and Mobility
9.2.3.1. Belief that education is the great equalizer
9.2.3.2. Most Americans believe more education leads to economic and social mobility
9.2.3.3. Education is directly linked to the mobility of the middle class, but not the rich and poor